Oxford: Council reveals Zero Emissions Zone charges number

The ZEZ scheme was launched by Oxfordshire County Council on February 28 last year as a pilot scheme and it only covers a handful of city streets.

Polluting vehicles are charged between £2 and £10 per day depending on their emissions between 7am and 7pm.

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Oxford's Zero Emissions Zone was introduced over a year ago (Image: Ed Nix)

With London’s mayor Sadiq Khan expanding the capital’s ultra-low emissions zone (ULEZ), there has been much speculation as to whether Oxford’s ZEZ could also see an expansion sometime soon.

The county council has exclusively revealed to the Oxford Mail that in the first 16 months of operating the ZEZ pilot scheme, an average of 193 daily ZEZ charges were paid per day for the use of non-zero emission vehicles in the pilot area.

Whether a motorist is given a fine depends on their vehicle emissions as opposed to their vehicle type.

The streets where motorists have to pay charges if they don't have zero emitting vehicles

Oxfordshire county councillor and the Conservatives’ shadow cabinet member for highways Liam Walker criticised the county council for “dithering” over ZEZ and for focusing on traffic filters as opposed to the expansion of the existing zone.

Mr Walker said: “The fact nearly 200 motorists are being fined each day for entering a couple of roads in the city shows the scheme needs to be improved.”

County Councillor Liam Walker

However, the county council's member for travel, Duncan Enright, said the current ZEZ was "working very well in improving air quality" which was the "key objective".

He said: "The figure 193 is not the number of motorists being fined but an approximate average number of people paying charges every day since the ZEZ pilot was introduced in February 2022."

Cabinet member Duncan Enright

Mr Enright said the pilot scheme was "about making our city centre cleanier and healthier by cutting air pollution" whilst he said the planned traffic filters "intended to reduce congestion, make bus journeys faster and more reliable."

The county council has not given a definitive date for when a decision about expanding ZEZ could be made.

Instead, its spokesman said: “Expansion of ZEZ to cover a wider area in the city centre will be subject to engagement with residents, businesses and other interested parties, consultation and funding”.

The authority promised that these details will be “available in due course”.

However, the county council’s spokesman did confirm that if the zone were to be expanded then this will take place after the traffic filters trial, which is set to start once works on Botley Road have finished.

In February, the Oxford Mail reported the ZEZ pilot scheme had raised £695,483 from when it was launched until January 31, 2023.

Previously, a county council spokesman said that income from the fines would be “used to cover the costs of operating the scheme and to fund measures like supporting the transition to net zero emission vehicles and active travel schemes.”